I made this pie for many Thanksgivings…and then there was a Cool-Whip version, and yes, I made that, too. And so many other pumpkin pies.

But I was thinking of pies even more WayBack then the 1960’s.…

like the 1660’s

1653

Tourte of pumpkin.

Boile it with good milk, pass it through a straining pan very thick, and mix it with sugar, butter, a little salt and if you will, a few stamped almonds; let all be very thin. Put it in your sheet of paste; bake it. After it is baked, besprinkle it with sugar and serve.”

Take about a half a pound of Pumpion and slice it, a handful of Tyme, a little Rosemary, Parsley, and sweet Marjaoram, stripped off the stalk, and chop very small. Then take Cinamon, Nutmeg, Pepper, and six Cloves, and beat them; take ten Eggs and beat them, them mix them, and beat them altogether, and put in as much sugar as you think fit, then fry them like a froize; after it is fryed, let it stand till it be cold, then fill your Pye, take sliced Apples thin roundways, and lay a row of the Froiz, and then a layer of Apples, with Currans betwixt the layer while your pye is fitted, and put in a good deal of sweet butter before you close it; when the pye is baked, take six yolks of Eggs, some white Wine or Verjuyce, & make a Caudle of this, but not too thick; cut up the lid and put it in, stir them well together whilst the Eggs and Pumpions be not perceived, so serve it up.”

Take a pound & slice it, a handful of a time, a little rosemary, and sweet marjoram stripped off the stalks, chop them small, then take cinamon, nutmeg, pepper, & a few cloves all beaten together, also ten eggs, & beat them, then and beat them all together, with as much sugar as you think fit, then fry it like a froise, after it is fried let it stand till it is cold, then fill your pye after this manner. Take sliced apples sliced thin round ways, and lay a layer of the froise, and a layer of the apples, with currans betwixt the layers. While your pie is fitted, put in a good deal of sweet butter before you close it. When the pye is baked, take the yolks of eggs, some white wine or verjuyce and make a caudle of this, but not too thick, cut up the lid, put it in, and stir them well together whilst the eggs and pumpion be not perceived, and so serve it up.”

Having your Paste ready in your Pan, put in your Pompion pared and cut in thin slices, then fill up your Pie with sharp Apples, and a little Pepper, and a little salt, then close it, bake it, then butter it, serve it in hot to the Table.

– Hannah Wooley. The Queen-like Closet. 1670.p. 235.

CXXXII. To make a Pumpion-Pie

Take a Pumpion, pare it, and cut it in thin slices, dip it in beaten Eggs and Herbs shred small, and fry it till it be enough, then lay it into a Pie with Butter, Raisins, Currans, Sugar and Sack, and in the bottom some sharp Apples, when it is baked, butter it and serve it in.

Like this:

Quince are botanically speaking, cousins to apple and pears. And wonderful – once cooked, turning red.

16th century quince tree

Edward Johnson in The Wonderworking Providence of Sion’s Savior in New England of 1654 says,

“…so that in this poor Wilderness hath not onely equalized England in food, but goes beyond it in some places for the great plenty of wine and sugar, which is ordinarily spent, apples, pears, and quince tarts instead of their former Pumpkin Pies.”

– (p. 210, 1910 ed.)

We’ll get back to the ‘former Pumpkin Pie’ nonsense later….but there were Quince at the Stop & Shop…..

These were painted by Van Gogh, not Stop & Shop

To make a slic’t Tart of Quinces, Wardens, Pears, Pippins, in slices raw of divers Compounds.

The foresaid fruits being finely pared, and slic’t in very thine slices; season them with beaten cinamon, and candied citron minced, candied orange, or both, or raw orange peel, raw lemon peel, fennil-seed, or caraway-seed or without any of these compounds or spices, but the fruits alone one amongst the other; put to ten pippins six quinces, six wardens, eight pears, and two pound of sugar; close it up, bake it; and ice it as the former tarts.

Thus you may also bake it in patty-pan, or dish, with cold butter paste.